The invention relates to a sensing system for use in the identification of colored indicia defined on a body in a series arrangement.
Typically, the use of up to four different colors in a series arrangement on a body permits 340 coding possibilities.
The prior art includes a device used in connection with colored rings printed on bodies such as ampoules wherein the ampoules are identified according to the colors and their locations as measured by a system including a light source moved across the rings and color sensitive photo-electric cells. This device has the drawback in that high intensity lamps are used to illuminate continuously the bodies and considerable heat is generated and the arrangement must provide a housing with ventilation and other cooling considerations. Another drawback of this device is the comparatively slow speed of the moving lamp which leaves open the possibility of an incorrect identification of the color rings for bodies moving relatively fast such as on a production conveyor belt.